St. John the Baptist has been located around Malbork since at least the 13th century, having been destroyed and rebuilt on several occasions. The current building was like so many other old ones in the town rebuilt at the end of the Thirteen Year War in 1468, although the current wooden bell tower dates from the 1520s. Always a Catholic church, the interior, most of which dates from extensive conservation work between the wars, is rather plain. Outstanding features include a medieval sculpture of St. Elizabeth of Turin and the neo-Gothic altar.
References:House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams) is a building situated in the old town of Riga. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornaments.
The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999. Today the House of Blackheads serves as a museum and sometimes concert hall.